Sanders Tells Rachel Maddow: U.S. Needs a Progressive Party

On March 30, Sen. Bernie Sanders gave an extensive interview to MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow (Click on the photo to view the entire 25-minute discussion). During the interview, Sen. Sanders brings up many excellent points about the extremism of the modern Republican Party, how the media has propped up Donald Trump’s campaign of hate, the increasing wealth gap between America’s rich and poor, climate change, abortion rights, LGBT rights, the disproportionate influence of corporate money in politics, and more.

He also had this to say, which we found very interesting:

MADDOW: “I had a chance to speak with Secretary Clinton earlier today and I asked her this question, as well. I’m going to — I’m going to ask you because I think it is possible that you two might have a difference of opinion on this. Last night the Republican candidates gave up on what had been their previous pledges that they would all support their party’s eventual nominee in the fall. Because of that, I think whether or not the Republicans nominate Donald Trump, there are plenty good odds now that are good portion of the Republican Party won’t support whoever that party runs for president. Now, as a — as somebody who’s running in the Democratic — for the Democratic nomination, do you look at that on the Republican side and say basically, you know, good riddance, it’s about time for the Republican Party in this country to blow up [and] I hope they come back with something better? Or are — are you concerned, because our party — [we have] a two-party system and we need both parties to be strong and sane in order to make this system work?”

SANDERS:“Well, first of all, I don’t necessarily take at value what [Republicans] say. I think at the end of the day, they probably will come together. But the other point, I think the deeper point, Rachel, is the Republican Party today has moved very, very far to the right. They are way out of touch with where the American people are. And I think if we had a media in this country that was really prepared to look at what the Republicans actually stood for rather than quoting every absurd remark of Donald Trump– talking about Republican Party– talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks for the top two tenths of 1%; cuts to Social Security and Medicare [and] Medicaid; a party which– with few exceptions– doesn’t even acknowledge the reality of climate change, let alone do anything about it; a party which is not prepared to stand with women in the fight for pay equity; a party that is not prepared to do anything about a broken criminal justice system or a corrupt campaign finance system… I think, to be honest with you (and I just don’t, you know, say this rhetorically), this is a fringe party. It is a fringe party. [If media talked about those things] maybe they get 5, 10% of the vote.

What you really need in this country is a progressive party standing with the working class and the middle class of this country. And yes, a conservative party that is more fiscally conservative. That is where we should be as a country.

But the Republican Party today now is a joke, maintained by a media which really does not force them to discuss their issues. So that’s my two cents on that.”

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